THE SEVEN CONTINENTS SCAVENGER HUNT Books and Google Earth

THE SEVEN CONTINENTS SCAVENGER HUNT

Discovering the World with Picture

Books and Google Earth

Lesson Title: The Seven Continents Scavenger Hunt

Grade Levels: Grades 1-4

Lesson Description: After reading the book, Where is my Continent? students will have the opportunity to use Google

Earth to explore and learn the general location of the seven continents of the world as well as the four major oceans.

Literature Connection (and description of the story):

Where is my Continent?

By: Robin Nelson

This ¡°First Step Nonfiction¡± book is a great way to introduce students to the seven continents of the world and some

general information about the North American continent. With the simple language used in this book, it can be used as

a read-aloud or read by students individually. This book also includes simple but powerful pictures on each page.

Concepts and skills

? Location

?

Continents

?

Oceans

?

Important lines of latitude and longitude

NCSS or National Geography Standards

? Interpret, use, and distinguish various representations of the earth, such as maps, globes, and photographs

?

Locate and distinguish among varying landforms and geographic features, such as mountains, plateaus, islands,

and oceans

?

Students will know and understand the location of Earth¡¯s continents and oceans in relation to each other and

to principal parallels and meridians

Objectives: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Locate and name the seven continents of the world

2. Locate and name the four major oceans of the world

3. Locate the continents and oceans of the world in relation to each other and major lines of latitude and

longitude

Google Earth Skills Needed:

?

Use the ¡°fly to¡± tool

?

Turn the ¡°grid¡± on and off

?

Move around the world

Teaching Procedures (step-by-step directions)

*Depending on the grade level and ability of the students, this activity could be done as a whole class or in small groups

1. Before reading the book Where is my Continent? ask students where they live. {None are apt to say that they

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Lesson Author: Nicole Maslowski

THE SEVEN CONTINENTS SCAVENGER HUNT

Discovering the World with Picture

Books and Google Earth

live in North America.} Let them know they are all correct, but there is also another place that they live. This

book is about a place they live- on a continent. Ask the students if they know what a continent is. Have the

students listen to the story to determine what a continent is or if their initial idea was correct.

2. Read the book Where is my Continent?

3. Think-Pair-Share: Ask students to think about his/her definition of continent and then share and combine

definitions with a partner in order to create a better definition. Ask pairs of students to share their definitions.

As a class, come up with a good definition for what a continent is. Tell students that there are seven continents

on earth and that they are going to go on a scavenger hunt to learn about the various continents of the world,

as well as the four oceans.

4. Write the following continents and oceans on the board or a piece of paper for the students to look at:

? North America

? South America

? Asia

? Africa

? Europe

? Antarctica

? Australia

? Atlantic Ocean

? Pacific Ocean

? Arctic Ocean

? Indian Ocean

5. Using Google Earth and the Fly to button, students will type in each of these places/oceans and locate them on

Google Earth. (The teacher will type in the places/oceans if the lesson is being done as a class activity.) After

they find them on Google Earth, they will write the name of the continent or ocean on a world map (An

appropriate map may be accessed at National Geographic Xpeditions:

).

6. After labeling all of the continents and oceans, have the students add the following lines of latitude and

longitude to their map: Prime Meridian, Equator, 45 N

? , 15 S? , 90 E? , 130 E? , 100 W

? , 60 W

? (At least one of these

lines runs through every continent). [For the younger students, or if the students have not learned about

latitude and longitude yet, just have the students find and add the Prime Meridian and the Equator to their

map] To help locate these lines with Google Earth, students will need to turn on the ¡°grid¡± under the View tab.

7. Bring the students back together and open up a large wall map of the world. If the names of the continents or

oceans are on the map, cover them up with a piece of paper. One at a time, have eleven students come up to

the board and put a label on each of the continents and oceans.

8. As a class ask the students questions to help them create a mental picture of where different oceans and

continents are located in regards to each other and various lines of latitude and longitude. To verify their

answers, students can be allowed to come up to the map and point out the various continents and oceans that

were mentioned in the question. Some possible questions are listed below:

?

?

?

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Is Africa to the North or South of Europe?

Which continent is closer to the Equator, Antarctica or South America?

Which ocean is located to the East of Asia?

Lesson Author: Nicole Maslowski

THE SEVEN CONTINENTS SCAVENGER HUNT

?

Discovering the World with Picture

Books and Google Earth

The line, 100 W

? , runs through which continent?

9. Wrap up the lesson by asking the students what continent they live on, which ocean is to the east and west of

it, and what lines of latitude and longitude run through it.

Assessment:

-Objective 1, 2, and 3 will be met when the students locate and fill out their maps along with the end of the class

discussion/wrap-up

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Lesson Author: Nicole Maslowski

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